Joint assembly



l2, 1950 M. P. GRAHAM 2,533928 JOINT ASSEMBLY Filed March 22, 1946 MATTHEW GRAHAM Patented Dec. l2, 1950 JOINT ASSEMBLY Matthew l. Graham, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Thompson Products, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application March 22, 1946, Serial N o. 656,450

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a joint assembly wherein tilting movements in one plane are accomnn daten on one pair of bearing surfaces and wherein tilting movements in all other planes are accommodated on another pair of bearing surfaces. Specifically the invention deals with a tie rod type of stud and socket joint especially adapted for the steering linkage of an automotive Vehicle `wherein a fragmentary ball-shaped bearing is tiltable and rotatable in a socket and carries a stud having a cross bar head tiltable in one plane only in the bearing.

The invention Will hereinafter be specifically described as embodied in a joint assembly for a tie rod joint construction but it should be understood that the principles of the invention are generally applicable to joints. Therefore the invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

Tie rod joints are subjected to tilting action in one plane more than in other planes. In tie rod constructions for independently sprung wheels of automotive vehicles the vertical rising and falling movements of the Wheels during operation of the vehicle effects increased tilting movements of the tie rod joint studs in one plane. Tilting movements of the studs in other planes is not increased. The increased tilting movement in the one plane increases wear action on the bearing surfaces and if the bearing surfaces must accommodate tilting in all planes, those portions of the surfaces accommodating the repeated and increased tilting in the one plane are soon worn more than the other portions of the surfaces. The unworn surfaces will prevent any automatic wear take-up to accommodate for the Wear of the worn localized portions and as a result looseness will soon develop in the joint construction.

According to the present invention a fragmental ball seat or bearing is mounted on the ball-shaped interior bearing Wall of the socket or housing. The bearing or seat has an end face in the housing which is longitudinally grooved or recessed to provide an open ended cylindrical rod receiving seat. A hole extends through the bearing or seat in perpendicular relation to the axis of the elongated groove or recess seat. The shank of a stud projects through the hole of the seat and the stud has a cross rod or bar xed on the end thereof tiltable in the elongated groove or recessed seat of the bearing. The stud shank has slidable contact with opposed side walls of the hole in the bearing to move the bearing therewith during all tilting movements in planes other than a plane normal to the axis of the cross rod or bar. The shank is spaced from end walls deining the hole of the bearing to accommodate tilting of the stud in the bearing in a plane normal to the axis of the cross rod or bar of the stud. As a result of this construction the stud will tilt in the bearing in the plane in which eX- cessive tilting action occurs during usage of the joint while me stud will carry the bearing therewith for tilting of the bearing in the socket or housing in all other planes. Rotation of the stud about lts oWn axis is accommodated by the external bearing wall ol the bearing and the internal bearing Wall of the socket or housing. A spring urged retainer acts on the stud to continuously maintain the cross bar or rod of the stud in seated engagement in the groove or recessed seat of the bearing and to maintain the bearing in continuous engagement with the bearing Wall of the socket or housing.

It is then an object of this invention to provide a joint construction having one pair oi bearing surfaces accommodating tilting movements in one plane only and having a second pair of bearing surfaces accommodating tilting movements in all other planes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a joint `construction having a first pair of bearing surfaces accommodating tilting movements in one plane only and a second pair of bearing surfaces accommodating all rotating movements of the parts and all tilting movements of the parts in other planes.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a tie rod joint construction with a socket having an internal ball seat, a bearing tiltable and rotatable on said ball seat and -a stud in said bearing tiltable in one plan., ony reiatif/e to the oealing and carrying the bearing therewith for comovement in all other planes.

Another object of the invention is to provide tie rod joint construction embodying a joint stud having an elongated cross head or rod for mounting the stud in Va bearing and for accommodating tilting movements of the stud in one plane only.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a joint construction embodying a lhousing, a bearing tiltable and rotatable in the housing and a stud carried by the ft-herein the shank of the stud is free to move in one plane only relative to the bearing and engages the bearing for co-movement in all other planes.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the annexed sheet of drawings which, by way of preferred example, illustrates one embodiment of the invention.

On the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevational View with parts in Vertical cross section of a joint assembly according to this invention.

Figure Z 1s a vertical cross sectional view with parts in end elevation taken along the line II-II of Fig. l.

Figure 3 is a horizontal cross sectional view with the housing or socket removed and `'illustrating the bearing in top plan view, taken along the line II-Il of Fig. l.

As shown on the drawings:

The joint i of this invention includes a. housing il having a laterally projecting externally threaded stem I2 for insertion in the end of a tie rod (not shown). The housing Il has a cylindrical bore 3 extending inwardly from one end thereof to an 'inwardly converging ra'grne'ntal spherical bearing wall portion iii. The bearing wall 'lf3 converges to a central aperture i5 in th'e top 'ol 'the housing as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

'The other end of the bore I3 is counter-bored at [E vto provide a shoulder El. A Vclosure disk i8 is seated in the counterbore IS against the shoulder Il and is secured in the housing Il by spinning over the rini end of the housing around the c'ount'erb'ore to provide an 'in'turned locking flange i underlying the peripheral margin 'of the closure disk. A socket chamber C is thereby provided in the housing l i. This chamber is closed at one end by the closure disk i8.

A fragment-al ball-shaped bearing member 23 is hi'o'unted in the chamber `'C of the housing 'il and has .an vexternal iragmental spherical 'bearin'g wall '2l seated "on 'the wall ifi 'of the `housing in free tiltable and rotatable relation therewith. The bearing '2G has a dat end fa'ce '22 in the chamber C. A segmental cylindrical groove or recess '23 is formed in this end face 22 to 'extend c'oinpletel'y across the bearing. The groove or rec'ess'ES thereby h'a's open 'ends covered by the bearing wall i oi the housing.

A hole 2e is formed through the bearing 2S perpendicular to the axis of the groove 'or recess 22 'and 'connecting the bottom of the recess with the apex 'oi the bearing 2d. AThis 'hole '213 has an elongated 'cross section with a major diameter D norni'al to the axis of the groove together with a minor diameter D' parallel to the a'iis 'of the groove 2S as best vshown in "ig, 3. As -shown in Fig. 1, 'the major diameter portion ofthe hole 2'4 tapers `as at outwardly from the groove 23 'to the apex of the bearing 2G while as shown in Fig. 2 the minor diameter portion of the hole 24 extends perpendiculariy as a't 215i; v'from the groove 23 to the apex of the bearing. Therefore the hole 25s has straight side walls along its minor diameter D and has outwardly `flaringside walls along its major diameter D. 'The hole 255 can be formed in the bearing 2G by rst 'drillin'g a cylindrical hole perpendicular to the Aaxis ofthe groove 23 and then drilling recesses along the 'desired vangle at 'opposed sides Tof the hole.

A's 'shown in Figs. l and 2, the bearing 2i) 'extends into the aperture i5 or" the housing l I and .the hole '24 communicates freely Awith the aperture i5. l

The vjoint lil includes a stud 25 with a shank having an externally threaded reduced diameter cylindrical end portion 25, a -irusto conical tapered portion 21 diverging from Athe end portion 26, a cylindrical portion 28 at the divergent end of the portion 21 and an elliptical neck 29 projecting through the hole 21%. A cross rod or head 3U is provided on the end of the neck portion 29. The neck2 has tapered opposed sidewall portions 29a converging from the cylindrical portion 28 to the headand aligned With the major diameter portion D of the hole '24 to be opposed tothe tapered portions 21tr/L of the hole. The neck '29 also has straight, wall portions 2Gb disposed in the minor diameter portion D1 of the hole 24 and snugly engaging the walls 24h of the hole to have sliding contact therewith. The cross bar or head 3l) on the stldhas a 'at end face 3! and a semicylin-drical side wall 32 in bearing engagement with the groove or recess 23 of the bearing 2D. The -bar `or head T39 of the stud has fragmcntal spherical end faces 33 seatedin the open ends of the groove 23 in ush relation with the external bearing wall 2i of the bearing 2a to continue'tli'is bearing wall 'and effectively fclose lthe ends of the groove.

A henri-spherical recess 34 is provided in the end face 3| 'of the lhead Sj 'at the axial 'center lof the stud. lA srnall ball 'or sphere Y35 is partially seated in this recess and vhas a rim portion 3G bottomed on the 'end 'race 31 of 'the head. The ball 35 thereby provides a semi-spherical projection on the 'axial center of the 'bottom 'of the stud as shown in Figs. l and 2.

A retainer '3? is 'freely disposed in the chamber Cv of the housing H and has a top wall with a fragmental spherical recess '38 in the 'central portion thereo receiving the ball A 'skirt 39 depends from 'the periphery of 'the top wall of the retainer'and a coil spring lil isdi'spc'se'd within the skirt and held vunder A'compression between Athe top wail o'f the retainer `and the clostufe disk i8 for the housing. The retainer is thereby spring pressed against 'the hall 3 5 -to yurge the head v'l-ll 'ci the 4stud fin bearing engagez-nent with the groove -`or recess Z3 ofi the bea-ring and to rhold Athe bearing in bearing engagement with the wall Jlil oi-the housing.

The 'stud 325 is fiee to tilt on ltl'i'e cooperating bearing eur-faces provided bythe 'stud fhe'ad 30 and 'the groeve A23 of the bearing l Sonly 4in a plane normal to the :axis -of the groove 23 and head 23e as :shown in Fig.. i. neck '29 or the stud can lmove .freely in the :hele 2A o'f the pearing in ythis plane .because the :tapered walls 29m 'of the. .neck and the recesses 4Vtea of the hole will :accommodate wide angular movement through an Fangle A before the stud isha-nk `will engage. ythe bearing'. However, 'when the fstud is tilted in any plane -tha't :is not normal to the 'axis of the :groove 23, the neck y2&1 mill-'carry the bearing 2E! with the stud `because Athe neck wal-ls 2th are in engagementwith :the hole wal-ls Edi). .'ihe stud `can therefore only move with the bearing in :planes that are .not normal tothe axis of the groove 2-*3 and-since Ithe aperture `[-5 .ofthe housing is kept ata minimu-I-ndiameter-toprovide .armanimum area der the bearing wall ilii, the stud can '2- only tilt through a smaller Aangle B in planes not n orinal -to the axis of 'thegroove 2B las shown in Fig. 2. The wide-angular-.movement.Ashown in Eig. l however will accommodate the desired degree -of `angular displacement for the stud "in the tplane wherein excessive `tilting .action occurs without ynecessitating Athe use of allarge .aperture in the housing .i i..

Thebearing 2B o antflt andro'tate on the Z-loe'ar.- ing wall .'I'4vof the housing 'Il andthe end faces 33 'o'f the "stud head '30 will tiit'a'nd 'rotate 'onth's bearing wall Il simultaneously with the bearing.

If Wear develops in any of the bearing surfaces the spring urged retainer will automatically take up any clearance produced by this Wear and looseness of the joint parts cannot occur. This condition will obtain even though one set of bearing surfaces Wears more rapidly than the other set because the wear take-up is progressive and is not impeded by unworn surfaces.

In view of the above descriptions it should be understood that this invention provides a joint assembly especially adapted for steering linkages of automotive vehicles wherein a rst pair of bearing surfaces fully accommodate tilting movements of the parts in one plane While a second pair of bearing surfaces accommodate all other movements of the parts.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. A joint construction comprising a housing having an internal bearing wall converging to an aperture and accommodating tilting and rotating movements, a bearing in said housing tiltable on said bearing Wall, said bearing having an end face in said housing with a iragmental cylindrical open ended groove therein and an elongated hole through said bearing perpendicular to the axis of the groove, said hole having a major axis normal to the axis of the groove, a stud having a shank projecting freely through the aperture of the housing With a neck portion lying in said hole having a minor axis aligned with the major axis of the hole and a major axis part sized for sliding bearing engagement with a minor axis part of the hole, a cross head in said groove on the end of said stud shank, said head having a cylindrical bearing Wall tiltable on said cylindrical Wall of the groove and having rounded end faces closing the open ends of the groove and forming continuations of the external wall of the bearing to tilt therewith on the bearing Wall of the housing, a rounded lug projecting from the central portion of the head and a spring pressed retainer in said housing receiving said lug in tiltable and rotatable relation for urging the head into bearing engagement with the groove and for urging the bearing into bearing engagement With the housing bearing wall whereby the stud will tilt in said bearing in a plane normal to the axis of the groove and will carry the bearing therewith when moved in all other planes to tilt and rotate on the housing bearing Wall.

2. A joint structure comprising ahousing having an internal bearing wall accommodating tilting and rotating movements, a bearing tiltable and rotatable on said bearing Wall, a stud having a shank projecting through said bearing and an elongated head tiltable in one plane only in said bearing, said bearing having an elongated stud shank receiving opening with a major axis at right angles to the elongated stud head and accommodating tilting of the shank therein and a minor axis portion in contact with the stud shank, said stud head and shank at all times engaging said bearing for effecting comovement of the stud and bearing for all rotating movements of the stud and for all tilt- B ing movements of the stud except tilting in said one plane.

3. A joint construction comprising a housing, a fragmental ball-shaped seat tiltable and ro'- tatable in said housing and having an elongated groove therein intersected by a hole vextending through the seat, said hole having a major. axis normal to the groove, and a stud projecting through said seat and having a cross head tiltable about its axis in said groove, said stud having a neck portion aligned with said hole and in contact with the minor axis portion of the hole to slide relative to the seat only in one plane While thrusting thereagainst for effecting comovement of the stud and seat in all other planes.

4. A joint construction comprising a housing having an internal bearing Wall converging to an aperture and accommodating tilting and rotating movement, a bearing in said housing tiltable on said bearing Wall, said bearing having an end face in said housing with a fragmentary cylindrical open-ended groove therein and an elongated hole through said bearing normal to the axis of the groove, a stud having a shank projecting freely through the aperture of the housing and projecting through the hole in said bearing, a cross head in said groove on the end of said stud shank, said cross head having a cylindrical bearing wall tiltable on said cylindrical Wall of the groove, a rounded lug projecting from the central portion of the cross head and a spring-pressed bearing retainer in said'housing receiving said lug in tiltable rotatable supporting relation.

5. A joint construction comprising a housing having an internal bearing wall converging to an aperture and accommodating tilting and rotating movement, a bearing in said housing tiltable on said bearing wall, said bearing having an end face in said housing with a fragmentary cylindrical open-ended groove therein and a transversely elongated hole through said bearing having a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the groove, said hole having its major transverse axis normal to axis of the groove, a stud having a shank projecting freely through the aperture of the housing with a neck portion lying in said hole having a minor axis aligned with the major axis of the hole and a major axis sized for sliding bearing engagement with the minor axis part of the hole, and a cross head in said groove on the end of said shank.

6. A joint construction comprising a housing having an internal bearing Wall converging to an aperture and accommodating tilting and rotating movement, a bearing in said housing tiltable on said bearing Wall, said bearing having an end surface in said housing with a fragmentary cylindrical open-ended groove therein and a transversely elongated hole through said bearing perpendicular to the axis of the groove, said hole having its major transverse axis normal to the longitudinal axis of the groove, a stud having a shank projecting through the hole in the bearing in sliding bearing engagement with the elongated sides of the hole and pivotable in the hole in the direction of the longitudinal axis thereof, and a cross head in said groove on the end of said shank.

7. A joint construction comprising a housing, a bearing member tiltable and rotatable in said housing having a transversely elongated aperture therethrough and having an elongated groove in one surface thereof, the axis of said groove being normal to the longitudinal transverse axis of said elongated aperture, a stud projecting through 7 8 said bearing and having a cross head tiltable in UNITED STATES PATENTS -said groove, said stud having a neck portion pass- Number Name Date lng through said elongated groove and 1n contact 771,457 Bullard Oct. 4, 1904 therewith to move relative thereto only in one 1,048,307 Grin Dec. 24, 1912 plane while abuttmg thereagalnst to effect cof th .th. u th o 1,845,095 Nlckelsen Feb. 16, 1932 ggrlfsnent 0f the bearmg elem m a 0 er 1,918,520 Chinon .my 1a, 1933 2,110,561 Stephens Mar. 8, 1938 MATTHEW P- GRAHAM- 2,178,206 Katcher oct. 31, 1939 REFERENCES CITED lo The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

